


Not What It Seems

by Im_The_Doctor (Bofur1)



Series: The Thinker, The Feeler [13]
Category: Transformers: Rescue Bots
Genre: (Lowkey Aromantic Asexual Chase), Alien Cultural Differences, Alien Culture, Amica Endurae, Arguing, Awkward Conversations, Best Friends, Confusion, Curiosity, Cybertronian Culture & Customs, Eavesdropping, Embarrassment, Explanations, Flowers, Fluff and Humor, Gossip, Loyalty, Mistaken for Being in a Relationship, Misunderstandings, Multi, Questions, Realization
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:47:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23905660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bofur1/pseuds/Im_The_Doctor
Summary: Dani and Graham overhear a private conversation among the Bots. Though they only catch part of it, they try to put together the pieces and come to a startling conclusion. Gossip gets around the firehouse.
Relationships: Chase & Heatwave (Transformers), Chase/Heatwave (Transformers) (mistakenly assumed), Dani Burns/Taylor, Kade Burns/Hayley (Transformers)
Series: The Thinker, The Feeler [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/479644
Comments: 15
Kudos: 96





	Not What It Seems

**Author's Note:**

  * For [11_Wonders_Asunder](https://archiveofourown.org/users/11_Wonders_Asunder/gifts).



> A big thanks to 11_Wonders_Asunder for giving me a great prompt to stretch my Transformers muscles again! This was a lot of fun :D
> 
> _"Heatwave or Chase mention being amica endurae and Blades or Boulder get excited like, ‘oh that’s so sweet, I had no idea!’ The humans observe this, and assume amica endurae means something romantic, and start assuming they’re ‘together.’"_

The trouble with walking in on an unusual conversation was that a curious and unwary listener could, in fact, take half of what they had heard and make it a whole.

While the Rescue Bots had learned quite a bit about Earth culture during their tenure with the Burns, the same couldn’t entirely be said of the humans. The mechs seemed pained by the thought of Cybertron—Heatwave in particular—so the kids had made a point not to pry or ask too many questions unless an invitation had been extended. Because of this, Graham and Dani couldn’t help being startled as the elevator opened and the Bots’ conversation drifted over to them.

“…asked him to be my partner long before graduation,” Heatwave was saying as he clasped Chase’s shoulder. “Even when everyone else was saying it could never work, saying it wasn’t even worth it to try, I wasn’t going to take anyone else. I didn’t _want_ anyone else. We just clicked.”

“But what about those policies they used to have?” Boulder questioned uncertainly. “You know, against partners staying together on a permanent team?”

“Upon studying our cohesive performance, our instructors came to the conclusion that those policies were severely outdated. It was the first time I was rather pleased not to comply with the rules,” Chase confessed, optics brightening. “As the humans put it, not all positive experiences must be preemptively concluded.”

“Not all good things must come to an end?”

“Precisely.” With a flickered attempt at a smile, the policemech pressed a hand against his sigil. “Upon realizing that we would be working together for the definitive future, Heatwave proposed performing the rites to become Amica Endurae.”

Boulder’s jump and Blades’ cry of delight were telling. “Aww, you guys! That’s great! I didn’t know you were so traditional, Heatwave. How many vorns in?”

“Uh—Thirtieth,” Heatwave stammered, a little flustered at the enthusiasm. “We didn’t have the big formal ceremony, if that’s what you’re thinking. We weren’t really up for that at the time.”

Sensing at last that they had stepped into something private, Dani grabbed Graham’s arm, steering him back into the safety of the elevator. As soon as the doors reclosed, she put her hands to her heart. “Wow…Wow! Heatwave and Chase? I had no idea!”

“I didn’t even think of the Bots having their own rituals for courting,” Graham realized. His sister could already see the gears in his mind turning. “Although, if their species lives for thousands of years, I can’t imagine they would want to spend it alone.”

* * *

“No way! You’ve gotta be kidding me!” Kade exclaimed, practically spitting his mashed potatoes across the table.

“I’m not! That’s exactly what we heard; they both said it,” Dani insisted as she tossed a napkin at him. “Heatwave said he asked him to be his partner. Chase said outright that he _proposed!_ They have traditions.”

“What did they call it again?” Cody piped up.

“Amica Endurae. They’ve been together for thirty ‘vorns’; I still haven’t figured out how long that is in Earth time,” Graham supplied, gesturing at the notepad of mathematical scribbles and question marks next to his plate.

“Okay, okay, Bot time is all fascinating, whatever. I’m more concerned with why they didn’t tell us that they’re a thing,” Kade insisted. “That’s _kind of_ important information for the team.”

“Cybertronian customs aren’t like ours, Kade,” Chief reminded him. “Maybe on their world, marriages were kept secret because of the war.”

“It sure seems that way. That was the first time they were telling Boulder and Blades and they’ve known them way longer than they’ve known us.”

Scoffing, the eldest shook his head. “Well, they’ve done an incredible job, then. I just don’t see it!”

“Yeah, but the war’s not here on Griffin Rock, right?” Cody’s brows furrowed. “So why don’t they show they love each other now?”

Chief couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. “You always made faces when you saw your mother and I kiss, didn’t you?” The reflexive nose-scrunching and nodding around the table made him chuckle. “Exactly. And imagine if any of the townsfolk happened to notice something. It would be a disaster. So if they want to keep their relationship private, for the sake of any confusion and the sake of their cover, we need to respect their wishes. Treat them the same way we always have. If they ever want to open up about it to us, they will in due time.”

* * *

_Treat them the same way we always have_. It was good advice, of course, but their dad had never really said it was an _order_ , right?

After mulling it over for a few days, Kade decided that a little curiosity had never hurt him too badly. He wanted to know for himself. Besides, he was the king of smooth questioning. As long as he controlled the conversation and made sure he wasn’t too overt, Heatwave wouldn’t suspect a thing.

“Got any advice on romance?”

Heatwave’s tires skidded on the asphalt. “Uh…What? Why do you think I’d know anything about that?”

“Oh, you know!” Making a show of examining himself in the rearview mirror, Kade grinned cheekily. “I’m trying to get a date with Hayley and you’re, like, a thousand years old. You’ve probably got _tons_ of experience wooing other bots, breaking their sparks…or are you the kind of mech to settle down? What’s your type?”

“I don’t see how that’s any of your business!” the firemech sputtered, swerving back into the right lane. “I don’t have any recommendations for you and your _Earth_ customs. It’s just a distraction from the job.”

“Oh, so you wouldn’t let some smart, weird, attractive bot distract you from the job either?”

“ _If_ I happened to have one, no. I’d make sure we both knew what to expect early on so I wouldn’t put ’em in danger.”

“What if you worked together?”

“Same answer. But you and Hayley _don’t_ work together so I don’t know why you’re suddenly so interested,” he shot down the bait, blunt as ever.

They passed a streetlight in brief silence, Kade idly drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. Just as Heatwave was about to snap at him to stop, he interrupted once more. “I tell you plenty of things about _my_ relationship.”

“Yeah,” Heatwave huffed, unsure of Kade’s strange emphasis. “I never asked you to.”

* * *

“So sweet…” Dani murmured appreciatively as she tucked away the card Taylor had attached to the impressive bouquet of daisies, pansies, tulips, and honeysuckle. Maybe she could drop by that pastry shop he loved and get some treats there as thanks.

“Dani? Why are you embracing that floral arrangement?” Chase’s voice made her squeak as she whirled around. She had been so wrapped up in reading the note that she hadn’t heard his footsteps.

“Oh, they’re from Taylor,” she explained, laughing a little sheepishly as her cheeks warmed. “He just wanted to let me know he was thinking of me.”

“And he did so by killing several floral species, separating them from their plot of earth and binding them with paper and ribbon?” Chase’s optics narrowed as he tilted his helm, the very picture of confusion.

“Look, it—it’s an Earth thing. You give someone flowers to let them know you care about them! They get to enjoy their colors, their smell, and know that when you saw something beautiful, you thought of them. Taylor saw these and thought of me.” As she gave them another onceover, she spotted a vivid red tulip and lit up. “Hey! Why don’t you give this to Heatwave?”

Seeming even more bewildered now, Chase still took it when she offered, pinching it delicately between a thumb and forefinger. “…Why?”

Dad had said not to mention it outright, so Dani opted to clear her throat and gesture indicatively at the garage doors as they opened. Heatwave and Kade were returning from a patrol. “Well, you _care_ for him, right?”

“Hmm. Indeed.” As Kade hopped out and Heatwave transformed, Chase marched promptly over. “Heatwave!”

“Chase? What’s with the flower?”

“Dani has informed me that trimmed Earth flowers are a method of showing appreciation for one another. You mean a great deal to me, so I have procured one for you.”

Heatwave stared at it for a long moment, apparently at a loss for words. Though his expression held the same incomprehension Chase’s had, he gingerly accepted it, muttering in a pedal tone. “This day just keeps getting weirder…Thanks, I guess. You, uh, mean a lot to me too.”

Nearby, Kade’s eyes were as big as saucers and Dani had to muffle her squeal by burying her face in the rest of her bouquet. Even after all of those years, they could act so awkward and bashful! Adorable!

* * *

Watching Chase and Heatwave fight over something had never been pretty. Now that the Burns knew the nature of their relationship, however, it was hard for all of them not to cringe as they watched the two go at it.

“…always had the gall to warn _me_ about unnecessary risks and now look at you! You made an executive decision without consulting me that could have gotten you killed!” Heatwave snarled, amber optics burning. “That wasn’t your call!”

“If I were to have waited any moment longer, the citizens within that structure would have been lost. I accomplished the mission.”

“Yeah, and you got a crushed bitarlueus for your trouble! _I_ had the proper equipment for that save! I would’ve helped you! Now until you heal, we’re a mech short because you decided to play the hero on your own!”

“You are not _listening_ to me, Heatwave. I could _not_ have waited for your assistance. Our priority is to protect the humans even at the risk of ourselves; that is our job. You understand that better than anyone.”

“His forearm will heal after a few quintuns,” Blades put in hurriedly. “M-Maybe faster if he spends the nights in his stasis pod!”

“He could have let me know where he was going on his way. We could’ve gotten there faster and assisted on the tail end; we could’ve ended it before he took that fall and then we wouldn’t be here now!”

“Heatwave, stop!” Cody burst out at last, wringing his hands as the mech glanced sharply at him. “Why can’t you just tell him you were worried about him instead of fighting? You were scared! I know I’d be super scared too if I was in love with someone and they got hurt, but Chase is okay now!”

“Wait, what?” Heatwave’s voice cracked as all of the anger washed out of him. “In love? W-What are you talking about?”

“Cody…” Chief sighed, resisting the urge to press his face into his hand as the boy shrank back. “Heatwave, I’m sorry. Cody didn’t mean to accuse you of anything and we know you two try to keep your relationship private—”

“No, I’m serious!” Heatwave cut in again, waving his hands. “ _What_ are you talking about? What are you implying?!”

“I’m afraid I do not understand either,” Chase concurred, optics flicking uncertainly. “Why is this suddenly our topic of discussion?”

“You’re Amica Endurae, aren’t you?”

“You’re a thing!” Kade declared just as Dani added, “A couple!”

Heatwave gaped at them with such shock that at any moment his lower jaw-plate might detach and clang onto the floor. Though Chase wasn’t nearly as expressive, he sat completely rigid, all the color draining from his optics. “I—I—I—” he stammered through static, apparently unable to process any more syllables to continue.

“Where did you get that idea? Where did you even _hear_ of Amica Endurae?” Boulder demanded as Blades nobly tried to smother the incredulous giggles bubbling out of him.

“Chase and I are _not_ sparkmates,” Heatwave squawked, unnaturally shrill. “Not a couple! Never were, never will be!”

“But we heard you telling Boulder and Blades about it,” Dani protested. “Chase said you proposed! There are vows, a ceremony—”

“Amica Endurae are lifelong best friends!” Blades exclaimed, his laughter only getting louder at the dawning expressions on the humans. “They’re—What was it in that one movie? They’re ride-or-die!”

“Platonic soulmates,” Boulder agreed, “and _only_ platonic. You didn’t notice the root word ‘Amica’? Amicable, friendly?”

“We just thought it meant something…different on your planet,” Graham choked out, his face as red as Heatwave’s plating.

“I can’t believe it. I had you give him one of my flowers,” Dani whispered, hands over her mouth in mortification. “I thought you two were just shy!”

“No wonder you had no clue how to help me and Hayley!” Kade scoffed, to which Heatwave groaned aloud in exasperation.

“That's what that was about?!”

“We’re very sorry. Clearly there’s been a big misunderstanding. We should have asked before making any assumptions, but we weren’t sure how open you would be explaining it to us. You haven’t always been up for discussing Cybertron in the past,” Chief admitted.

“Then allow us to now.” Chase had taken the time to reboot his vocalizer and now squared his shoulders. “The term you were searching for is Conjunx Endurae—a relative but distant concept, sparkmates, spouses. Amica Endurae are no less important but do not share the same form of love that Conjunx do. I have never felt Conjunxual love for anyone nor do I expect I ever will. I feel no great desire for it.”

“And I’m not into mechs,” Heatwave added firmly. “Femmes only.”

“However…Heatwave was my only friend and companion at a time when no others would accept me. When I was scorned, derided and cast aside as…worthless, he helped me to my feet.” Chase’s optics softened as he glanced at him. “Our rites as Amica Endurae were promises that we would stand by each other across centuries, millennia, no matter the challenges before us. Comrades today, tomorrow and always, bound by light and loyalty.”

“Wow…” Cody whispered, already considering his own friendship with Frankie. They had their bickering and their spats at times but at the end of the day, it felt like it could last forever.

“That sounds like a great bond to have,” Chief mused.

A beat of silence passed, followed by the low creak of Heatwave’s feet as he shifted. “Yeah,” he agreed quietly, resting protective fingers against Chase’s damaged forearm. “Definitely not something I’d want to lose.”


End file.
